As the St. Cloud Times reports, the Minnesota Veterans Home in Minneapolis was determined to have been negligently responsible for the death of one of its residents in April 2012, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. The resident overdosed on methadone.
MDH’s report reveals that the resident had a history of depression. Additionally, the facility had previously identified that the resident was abusing his prescription pain medication. However, there was no change in resident’s care plan. Because the facility failed to prevent the resident from obtaining a controlled substance without a prescription, MDH substantiated the reported incident of neglect. [Report. no HL00233082]
Additionally, a separate incident of neglect was substantiated in May 2010. A resident with Alzheimer’s and dementia attempted to walk from his wheelchair, where he fell and sustained a severe hip fracture. The resident had been identified as being a high-risk for falls. As a result, the resident’s care plan required that the resident have an alarm while at his wheelchair. At the time of the fall, the resident was not clipped in and thus the alarm did not sound. MDH determined that the facility was negligently responsible for the resident’s injury. [Report no. HL00233074]
The Minnesota Veterans Home in Minneapolis has also been cited at least three separate times for various healthcare violations—most notably in its failure to prevent residents from developing bedsores.
A September 2011 MDH health inspection survey indicated that the veteran’s care center failed to adequately respond to a developing pressure sore. The report indicated that as early as September of 2010, one of the facility’s residents had developed an early-stage pressure sore. By July of 2011, the pressure had progressed and ultimately continued to develop into a severe ulcer.
The Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm represents clients in cases involving catastrophic injury caused by nursing homes and other care facilities that fail to provide proper care. If you believe your loved one has been harmed due to a nursing home’s failures, take action and contact the Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm online or call us toll-free at (877) 552-2873 to set up a no-cost, no-obligation consultation.
